“You must build this Bangladesh, you must shape it. Bangladesh must be established as a powerful nation in the world. Each of you is an ambassador of Bangladesh and an owner of this country.”
Prime Minister Tareq Rahman made these remarks on Thursday (November 5) afternoon while delivering his speech as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of ‘New Buds Sports – 2026-27’ (Season 2) at Khulna District Stadium. The event aims to discover children’s sports talent and encourage them to pursue sports as a profession.
He formally inaugurated the competition by releasing balloons and pigeons at a colourful ceremony organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The event was chaired by the State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque.
At this time, students and athletes present in the gallery waved to the Prime Minister in greeting. The children and teenagers were overjoyed to see him up close.
The Prime Minister stated that a strong and prosperous Bangladesh would be built through the development of children’s intellect, talent, and creativity. To achieve this goal, proficiency in sports, arts, culture, and foreign language learning must be acquired alongside academics.
Emphasizing the multifaceted development of children, Tareq Rahman said, “It’s not enough to just study. Alongside academics, every child must acquire skills in sports, arts, and cultural practices. Because it’s not possible to conquer the world through education alone. To advance globally, one must be proficient in every field: knowledge, sports, art, and culture.”
He said, “You will study to become doctors, engineers, architects, or lawyers. But alongside that, you must also know sports, art, and culture.”
The Prime Minister noted that students of the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) demonstrated their versatility through various cultural performances, including dance and song, in addition to sports. He urged other children and teenagers of the country to similarly come forward in developing their multifaceted talents. “You can do it. You can study, you can play sports, and equally, you can achieve proficiency in art and culture.”
He stated that the participation of 1.6 million children and teenagers proves that there is no lack of talent among the country’s children. Now, it is the government’s responsibility to create the necessary opportunities and environment for them. The final phase of this event will be held in June next year. Children and teenagers from over 500 upazilas, municipalities, districts, and various units across the country are connected to this competition online.
The Prime Minister said that the government wants to create an environment where children can seamlessly participate in sports and cultural activities alongside their studies. To achieve this, necessary facilities will be gradually created.
Highlighting the plan to provide children with the opportunity to learn a third foreign language, he said that each child would be given the chance to choose one language from six or seven foreign languages, in addition to Bengali and English.
Earlier, at around 2:45 PM, the Prime Minister arrived at Khulna District Stadium. Later, he officially inaugurated the second season of New Buds Sports by releasing balloons and pigeons.
Concurrently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the competition online in 503 upazilas across the country. National Assembly Whip and Khulna-3 Member of Parliament Rakibul Islam Bokul, local MPs, and BNP leaders were present at the time.
During the inaugural ceremony, the Prime Minister enjoyed various performances by BKSP students. He also enjoyed the traditional Dragon Dance and Lion Dance performed by Chinese students.
After the event, the Prime Minister planted a tree sapling in the Khulna District Stadium premises.